Report: Phillies are a “name to watch” for a gold glove, contact hitting outfielder
Andrew Benintendi is a “name to watch” if the Phillies trade for an outfielder at the trade deadline, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
Benintendi, 27, is having a great year with the Royals, slashing .303/.368/.391 on the year. He’s hit 3 HRs, 27 RBIs, and has racked up 82 hits, with 11 doubles, a .760 OPS, and an OPS+ of 116. Benintendi is coming off one of the best seasons of his career in 2021, where he hit .276/.324/.442 with 17 HRs, 73 RBIs, and a golf glove in left field.
The signing of Benintendi would be great for the time being but would raise some questions once Harper returns. Benintendi has only played 71 career games in centerfield and adding him means another corner outfielder for the Phillies. The Phils would then have three spots (LF, RF, DH) for Harper, Castellanos, Schwarber, and Benintendi.
Benintendi would be a huge upgrade in the field over Castellanos or Schwarber. He has a 1.000 fielding percentage in 71 games in 2022 and has committed just 15 errors in 7 seasons in the pros. The Royals are 26-47 on the season, 15 games back of the Twins with a -104 run differential.
The haul for Benintendi, who’s on an expiring deal, is unknown at this moment in time, but the core of the trade would most certainly start with a prospect. With the Phillies’ excess amount of catchers, the Phillies could look to move Rafael Marchan or even Logan O’Hoppe.
Although Benintendi’s addition to the team would have a positive impact, the Phillies need to prioritize starting pitching first, especially with the unknown return of Zach Eflin. The team has an excess amount of outfielders currently on the roster (Herrera, Vierling, Moniak, Mercado), so a demotion would have to be made if the team was seriously in on Benintendi.
Up Next for the Phillies
The Phillies fell to the Braves last night in the series opener by a final score of 5-3. Ranger Suarez gets the ball tonight, going up against Kyle Wright.
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